Review: The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future.
Sherry Thomas brings her trademark blend of dazzling magic, heartbreaking romance, and exciting action in this striking sequel to The Burning Sky.

“For me, you are—and always will be—everything
worth living for.”

This was one of my most anticipated 2014 books, and I'm glad to say it does not disappoint! Though not as riveting as The Burning Sky, this book definitely kept me on my toes. So much happens in this, it's beyond crazy! And I loved every second of it.Iolanthe is still attending Eton disguised as Archer Fairfax, but this time around there's a lot more between her and Titus, especially after the events of the previous book. Everything they've been through together has strengthened their bond, and Titus never fails to tell Iolanthe how much she means to him. But Titus discovers something about his destiny that changes everything, especially Iolanthe's role in his life. Is their bond strong enough to make it through all the obstacles?The Perilous Sea is told in two different timelines, alternating chapters. One is seven weeks ahead of the other, and is set in the Sahara desert, of all places. And the other is the normal timeline that continues from the previous book. Of course, the timelines do meet by the end of the book. I found this narration really intriguing, and it definitely helped keep me interested. Because there's a lot of politics and quite a bit of confusion in the normal timeline. So I actually found myself enjoying the other one more, most of the time anyway.I'm not going to lie, Titus pissed me off quite a bit in this book with his rigidity and unwillingness to open up to new paths. He follows his mother's diary loyally, not stopping to consider whether he can make his own destiny. And his relationship with Iolanthe is rocky as a result. I honestly didn't get how her role had to change so much, because I'd have thought she'd be helping him out anyway. But no, things just have to change drastically.Titus is amazing, though. Apart from that little frustrating bit. He loves Iolanthe so much, and he's easily give up anything and everything for her. It's incredibly sweet. Iolanthe, too, loves him just as much, and I'm glad she finally tells him in this book. Her character has gotten a lot stronger, and her fears and apprehension have almost disappeared. I think Titus and Iolanthe are awesome together - strong, powerful, and deeply in love.There are a lot of shocks and surprises in this book, so brace yourself for them! It's a pretty long book, and the plot is pretty heavy so it takes a while to get through. But it's never dull, I can promise you. This world is incredibly rich, and I loved seeing Iolanthe and Titus in Eton along with Wintervale and Kashkari, the two main secondary characters. Both these characters have a much bigger role to play in this than in The Burning Sky, which was really nice to see since I love both of them.Things get way intense by the end, and my heart was actually pounding at times. Everything can go crazy in an instant! I loved it. And yes, we end up at a cliffhanger of sorts, so I'm pretty much desperate for the conclusion to this trilogy. I know it'll blow my mind just as much as these two books have.*Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC for review*Rating: 4.5/5

2 comments:

Yay :D Amazing review sweetie. <3 I'm so glad you loved this book too. But pfff. I did not get annoyed at Titus for that :p I don't blame him for believing in his mother's diary. It is all he has left of her. Of course he will believe her. But I do wish Iolanthe hadn't been so quick to leave him about that. Hmph. She could have been there for him, despite what the diary said. Anyway. I did love it so much :D Thank you for sharing. <3